


Whumptober 28

by Waywocket



Category: Autodale (Web Series)
Genre: Child Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27240169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waywocket/pseuds/Waywocket
Summary: Uglies are protesting again. Hive won't stand for it.
Kudos: 15
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 28

There were whisperings again. Citizens were talking about what happened to Uglies when they were taken away. About if it was fair to treat them so poorly when so many things weren’t their fault.

There were posters in the streets. Some outlined what good Ugly citizens could still do for Autodale. Though most of them just had a mask with the Ugly label scratched out. A simple enough message, and it was spreading.

Citizens had started to go missing. Ugly citizens were running before they were caught and taken to stand in those lines. They were hiding. Planning something. Not that Shadow thought they really stood a chance.

When Hive had cottoned on to the Uglies’ plans, they had been upset, to say the least. They had everything perfect in Autodale, or so they thought, and change was bothersome.

“Shadow! We have to find them before they do any more harm to the city!” They were yelling in his head. 

He winced a little before he sighed. “And what do you expect me to do?” He asked, still getting up to get his hat and gun. It wasn’t hard to figure out what they wanted of him. Still, he hated it.

“Find them, Shadow! They’d notice the Handymen in an instant. You need to figure out where they are so we can deal with them. This goes on too long, and they will become dangerous. People are already starting to agree with them!.”

This was not what he had been given a body for. He was supposed to protect people, he bitterly thought as he walked the streets of Autodale. Hopefully, he would never find them, but he had to put in the effort. Hive would know if he didn’t.

They certainly weren’t stationary. Every lead Shadow found sent him winding through the city. Occasionally, an odd room or unused building had signs someone had been, but nothing more. They were being careful. 

“Are you even trying, Shadow?” Scolded Hive days later. There had been no signs of them, but more flyers in the streets. Now there was one of him with his eyes scratched out with words below, ‘There are monsters in Autodale’. It made his chest tight. It was the truth, of course. But he still didn’t like it. He wanted to protect them.

It was becoming clear that chasing these leads was always going to keep him a few steps behind. He had prepared to tell Hive as much, hope that they would just send out another announcement and be done with it. As if he was ever that lucky.

Walking through the streets, he noticed them from the corner of his eye. Two citizens, talking and holding the poster of his face. He was too far away to hear them, but he saw one gently tugging the other. That was a start. He wished he hadn’t seen it.

If he saw it, then he knew Hive did as well. He didn’t have to hear them demanding him to follow to know they were getting excited. There had been others that wanted rights. The first was even among them. He wasn’t sure why this one bothered Hive so much. What about them was different?

Keeping a safe distance, he followed behind them, handing in his pockets. Never close enough to hear what they were saying, and far enough away, they never noticed he was there. 

He was expecting them to drop off into a less populated part of the city. Somewhere away from the eyes of the city.

An active warehouse was not what he was expecting. Yet that’s where they went, looking over their shoulders before going inside. It was still very much used. Someone was guarding over them.

“It looks like we’ll have to look into who works at this warehouse. Once it’s been cleared a vermin,” said Hive, their voice cold in his head.

Shadow winced at that. He hated how Hive saw these people. Exceptional citizens were still labeled as Uglies, just with a different end. He wondered if they remembered that. Or if they thought it made them that different.

Walking around the building a while, he tried to give them time. Secretly hoped they had seen him and ran away. But that wouldn’t last forever.

Eventually, he did find them. The steels had been moved to try and hide them in the back of the warehouse. He could hear them whispering. Moving a large box, he looked into the small home they’d made for themselves.

When they saw him, they panicked. They huddled together in the back of the room, pressed tightly against the wall. They were hiding children behind them, trying to at least give them a little more time.

His heart broke. He couldn’t do this. He knew what Hive wanted, but he couldn't. Stepping away from the opening, he pressed a hand to his head. “We know where they are. You can send someone to deal with them.”

“Why wait? You’re there, Shadow. You know what’s going to happen to them. It’s better to deal with them now than draw it out. Don’t you think?”

He cringed at that. If he kept looking the other way, arguing, maybe they could get away. “Hive, please. I wasn’t made to kill citizens,” he pleaded.

“Perhaps not. But you were made to follow orders!” They snapped back.

One of them threw a heavy box at his head. Stumbling back, he tried to keep it together. They were afraid, he understood. If they would just fucking run! He didn’t want to hurt them. They didn’t deserve this.

While he tried to stall for time, wishing he could get them to understand they needed to run, they had other ideas, like rushing the steel to knock it over on him. It worked.

Boxes clattered onto his head, nearly knocking him over. The damage sent sparks from the wires of his neck. Stumbling, he tried to get away as the huge metal shelf came down.

He wasn’t fast enough. A heavy bar crunched the metal of his left shoulder. Something inside clicked. His eyes dimmed, shadowed under the brim of his hat. More sparks flew from his wires as he tried to fight back, resist the robotic part of himself. Fought to stay in control.

But it was all for nought. Shadow pulled out his revolver, letting it spark to life. He could hear them scream as they tried to run. Tried to get away before it was too late. But it already was.

Even as he tried to fight it, he took aim at them. One shot, and then another. He didn’t stop until they were all laying on the ground. Even the children lay in pools of their own blood, most of them half under the adults that had tried to save them.

When the ‘threat’ was gone, he came back to himself, nearly collapsing as he did. Looking at the damage he had done, he could only stand, frozen in horror.

They had just wanted to live. Just wanted to have lives and families. Protect their children. And he had gunned them down like vermin.

“Good job Shadow! You’ve done a wonderful job!” Praised Hive in utter delight. This had been a victory for them.

He wished, desperately, he could turn the gun on himself.


End file.
